UMKC group awards seven for 2017
Emily Wesley, a spring 2017 Elkhart High School graduate, has been named a University of Missouri-Kansas City Trustees’ Scholar.
When Wesley enters the biology program at UMKC, she will receive a scholarship valued at $60,000 over four years. Her award is supported by the UMKC Board of Trustees, the founder of the scholarship program.
Wesley graduated at the top of her class. She was president of the Elkhart High School Student Council her senior year; vice president of the Elkhart High School Junior Class; member of the Elkhart High School and Immanuel Lutheran Christian Academy National Honor Society; and member of the Elkhart High School Key Club. Wesley was a missionary for an Alaska Mission Trip for Immanuel Lutheran Church in the summer of 2015; and a volunteer for St. Johns Medical Center Broken Arrow; Elkhart, Kansas Key Club; and Safari’s Sanctuary.
In the essay submitted to the Trustees’ Scholars selection committee, Wesley said a biology degree from UMKC will enable her to achieve her lifelong goal of becoming a medical doctor.
“It will empower me with the tools to build a strong foundation in the natural sciences that I will utilize in my journey through medical school. I will thrive in the environment strengthened by diversity while being surrounded by amazing professors and mentors. I am very confident that UMKC would be the perfect home for the next exciting stage of my life.”
The Trustees Scholarship provides educational fees and on-campus room and board for the first two years. In the third and fourth years, the package provides educational fees and $2,000 for room and board. Each Trustees’ Scholar also receives $500 toward books each year.
To qualify as Trustees’ Scholars, students must meet at least two of the following three criteria: score a minimum ACT Composite of 30, rank in the top five percent of the graduating class, or have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or more in a 17-class core curriculum. Trustees’ Scholars must enroll full time, be seeking an undergraduate degree and commit to living on campus for the first two years.
The UMKC Trustees’ Scholars Program is unique in that it aligns students closely with corporate sponsors, who give students access to their professional knowledge and experience, insight into the inner workings of the company or institution they represent, and a strong mentor relationship throughout the college experience. Students have opportunities to network and find internships or jobs through the Trustees and their connections in the community.